It's ice skating season and many youngsters and teenagers are asking for skates. It's hard for people who live in warm places like Phoenix or Miami to appreciate the social attraction of ice skating, but for many people in the Midwest and Upper North East, skating is the social highlight of the season. People in the US skate for two reasons, socially in groups or for playing hockey.
Top Rated Hockey Skates
As a child who grew up in a small city in North Dakota, I can tell you that the local ice skating rink, whether the temperature is zero or minus 15 was where the action was.You were either skating on weekends or staying home watching Lawrence Welk with the fam. In fact, thinking back on it, I can't remember ever doubting that ice skating was the thing to do. This being all said, parents, in particular, will wonder what are the best skates to buy their kids, and teenagers and young adults may be thinking wast are the best ice skates for pros.You can ask any questions regarding ice skating on the forum hockeylife.club.
Figure skates vs hockey skates
For those who aren't familiar with the subject, ice skates come in two forms, figure skates, and hockey skates. Figure skates have a long blade, and an ice pick on the front. And whether it be a boys or girls skates or skates for adults, there is a heel over the back part of the blade. NHL style hockey skates have an integrated boot and blade in them, a shorter but wider blade, and no pick on the front.
In general, the best ice skates for beginners are figure skates for three reasons. The first reason with the longer blade of figure skates, there is more balance. The second reason is that stopping is easier to learn for beginners with figure skates. To stop with figure skates, you simply learn to turn around and dig that pick into the ice. With NHL style hockey skates, however, you have to learn to place both blades sideways, swivel your hips and then press with your back foot until you stop. It's a much more difficult move to master.
The primary reason why figure skates are the better choice for beginners rather than choose NHL style hockey skates is because of week ankles. Figure skates have a boot that goes up higher onto the ankle and in addition, they stand up straight while skating. With hockey skates, hockey players build up a tremendous amount of speed by moving their feet side rather than keeping their feet standing upright. Unfortunately, hockey skates are not good for people with weak ankles and most kids under 14 definitely have weak ankles.
What size hockey skates do I need
In general, the rule is to get skates that are 1.5 sizes smaller than your street shoes. But this is a guide, not a hard and fast rule. The best way to get good fitting hockey skates (or figure skates for that matter) is to try them on at a sports store. This is not the type of product you want to buy online at Amazon. So go into a sports store, bring along a thick pair of socks, and buy the most comfortable pair of skates you can find. Be sure and try on both pairs of skates, not just one, and then stand up for a good 15 minutes to ensure you are getting a pair of hockey skates that are a good fit. The plain fact is that when it comes to hockey skates, some people have one foot bigger than another, so you want to size up to be sure and find the most comfortable fit.
What about if you have flat feet or extra wide feet?
Most sports shops have on stock hockey skates for wide feet or for flat feet. However, in particular, if need skates for wide feet and the sports store does not carry them. then it's wise to special order online. There are a number of articles recommending manufacturers who specialize in hockey skates for those with flat feet or for those who need skates for wide feet.
Skates are important to your youngster, whether he be a future professional stickman on your favorite hockey team or just puttering around the ice. Be sure and buy them the right size and type of skate.
